Haven
by RonaldWeasleyTheHero
Summary: Annie had encased herself in crystal to escape reality but as she left, something had anchored her.


**Hi guys RonaldWeasleyTheHero here back again with another arminxannie oneshot. this time for the prompt Elysium. alright guys enjoy!**

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_**Elysium= a state or place of perfect bliss**_

_**Haven**_

There was only morning in this world, only sunshine, the lively waves of the ocean and bliss.

Happiness and love.

And him, always him.

But the darkness would always come, when the sun fell and the sea came to a still.

She didn't know when she first fell into the routine, all she could remember was her heart breaking as her world came tumbling down. She was sure she had imprisoned herself inside her crystal cage. She was sure she had somehow escaped the world, but when she opened her eyes she found beauty.

And him holding out a hand for her.

She took it, his larger hands wrapping around her smaller ones softly.

His smiled at her like he used to, full of admiration and respect, and maybe it was just her imagination but there was also something more.

"Annie," he had said, stroking her hair and wiping her tears as she stared at his form that was flanked by the vast blue sea. " Welcome home..."

This was her home? Her hometown was a place filled with murder, corruption, and indoctrination.

Not a flawless sandy beach by the Ocean, not sunshine and beauty.

And he was most definitely not present there.

"Armin..." She said, she felt sick when she spoke his name, after everything that happened she didn't deserve to speak it.

"Where am-" He shushed her with a finger before picking her bridal style.

He had taken her to small house on top of a hill, he stepped inside and didn't stop until they reached a large white bathroom, he set her down and without warning began to gently take her clothes without blinking.

"You're filthy, here let's get you cleaned up."

His voice was so casual, as if he had done this a million times before.

Then again she had always felt so bare around him from the very beginning.

He filled the bathtub with water and gestured for her to step in.

With slight trepidation she went in, soaking up the cool water.

She let out a breath that she hadn't realize she was holding, her muscles relaxing and her eyelids Closing from sheer bliss.

She heard a snicker and looked to see Armin staring at her affectionately, his chin resting on his hands as he smiled.

She looked away unable to meet his gaze "Stop looking at me...like that"

"You're the only one here Annie, Who else am I going to look at?" He laughed and the sound warmed her body.

"Whatever..." she muttered.

He had left her to her own devices after that leaving to go off who knows where in this strange place she was in. Annie walked out of the bathroom to find a fresh hoodie and pants in front of the door for her. She wasted no time in putting it on, glad to be done with the filth of her Military Police Uniform.

"Armin," She called, stepping outside, the salty air of the ocean hitting her nose, the sounds of the waves calming her anxiety.

His form suddenly came from beneath the sea and waved "Annie, why don't you come in?"

She took a step towards him but she felt her body freeze. "I can't..."

She grabbed her elbow in futile attempt to keep it steady, the limb now trembling uncontrollably.

She couldn't join him, not there, where his dreams were, his aspirations, his motivations.

She couldn't be a part of it.

Annie heard him step out of the water and come closer to her. She felt a wet hand on her cheek and she glanced up at his eyes. They could see her pain, her thoughts her frustrations.

"You can...In this place you can." He said,

"Armin..." She whispered, leaning into his hand.

He suddenly pointed to the sky something resembling a frown coming across his features.

The sun was setting, soon the moon would take its place and bathe this entire area in darkness.

"Don't worry that won't happen..." Armin said, it was as if he read her thoughts.

"I'll have to go now, Annie."

"What?" she felt her heart rate pickup, he was going to leave? Abandon her here all alone?

"I'll see you later Annie."

He began to disappear right through her fingers.

The sun set, and the world was cloaked in darkness.

She was back, she could once again hear his tears, his anguish. He was asking her questions now.

Why she had done it?

Why did she fight?

Annie would rather be anywhere than here, trapped and forced to listen to his sorrow. Was this punishment? Was this her reward for thinking she could so foolishly escape this world.

That had been the beginning.

Time seemed to move slowly, just as she reached her breaking point, her eyes had once again been allowed to open, and she almost cried when she found herself facing him and the ocean once again.

"I told I would see you later..."

She suddenly grabbed him and flipped him over her shoulder.

"You son of a bitch, why did you leave me!?"

He only stared at her, not even registering the fact that she had just flipped him. "because you're holding on..."

"To what!?" she snarled at him, she didn't know what he was talking about.

"That's for you to find out."

Annie paused for a few moments contemplating what he was saying.

She didn't get to think on it much however as she was once again picked up and lead to the small home on the hill where a warm bath and fresh clothes awaited her. When she stepped out and saw him once again frolicking in the ocean she cautiously looked to the sky and to her relief the sun was just rising.

Her day had just began.

She stayed with him the entire time relishing the attention that he gave her. She would talk about any mundane thing that would come to mind and he would listen with rapt attention as if the words she spoke were holy, which she knew were far from the truth. He had even asked her to spar, Annie had smirked at his request.

If there was one thing she loved it was showing off her combat abilities, but in this world Armin would fight back almost equaling her strength. They dodged and jabbed, swerved, and spun. A dance forming between the two. When they began to get tired, Armin would touch her softly at her sides forcing small giggles to burst from her lips.

This world was her's completely.

A world where she could laugh freely and openly.

A world that was without tremendous responsibilities

A world that existed solely for her own happiness.

And if that was the case...

Annie gave Armin a sideways glance, without warning the petite blonde pressed her lips to his, the contact caused a warm sensation to course through her body. She felt Armin respond immediately, wrapping his hands around her smaller frame to deepen the kiss. Annie wrapped her arms around his neck feeling his blonde hair in between her fingers.

This was her world, a piece of absolute perfection in some distant place far beyond time and space.

Annie Leondhart did not notice the setting sun.

Her world turned black.

_'no'_

She was back again,

_'please...no'_

And she could hear him once again, this time he sounded happy.

"Eren still has no clue about what Mikasa feels for him, it's honestly kind of funny."

Why was he telling her that?

"Annie, I wish I knew why you did it...I feel like I'm this close to understanding, but you...you just."

She didn't want to hear this.

This Armin didn't want her.

This Armin did not understand how much she had lost just to be good to him.

Annie tuned out his words, waiting, wishing to go back.

She opened her eyes to see the Ocean.

There he was waving at her and smiling serenely as if he had not left her to experience anguish all by her lonesome.

She almost stumbled in her haste to get to him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face into his chest.

"I don't want to go back..."

"You don't have to...as long as you let go."

There was that phrase again.

Annie shook her head "I will...I have."

She was determined now, she would make this world her entire life to make sure she never went back.

The cycles began.

Everyday and every night it would be the same routine, the only thing that broke the pattern was what she would do next with Armin. To laugh, to play, to love freely, all the options were there and she took full advantage of it.

But then when the sun was gone, she was forced back to where she really was, to what she really was. A traitor, an enemy, every single time she was ripped away from her haven was a constant reminder of all the atrocities she had committed. And it was always him, always there trying to talk her.

Sometimes he would be angry at her.

Sometimes he would happily tell her about his day.

But it hurt every time.

It had become too much, even for her.

When she had reopened her eyes to stare at his perfection, she knew what she had to do.

Why was this so hard?

His back was facing her, his gaze locked on to the endless horizon.

"I wish I could have stayed here forever..."

He finally turned to look at her, a sad smile across his face "No you don't."

He was right, Armin was always right.

"I know..."

In some way she had known what she needed to do from the beginning, but the thought of something like this had been just too appealing to not have experienced in some way. Since when had she become so dependent as to cling on to something as false as this?

The sun began to set and this time Annie Leondhart welcomed it.

When she made it back. She finally acknowledged what had anchored her to this world.

_'It was you...always you.'_

"Annie, please come back."

That was all she needed.

A small barely noticeable twitch of her fingers made the crystal shatter.

As the shards rained down on her form she looked at his eyes that held stunned disbelief.

"I only came back-" She coughed, her lungs feeling odd from the lack of use " Cause you wouldn't shut up..."

She had abandoned her freedom to keep him safe, She had sacrificed nearly everything to be good to him. Now she had abandoned perfection, for the flawed human being in front of her.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

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**ok, i know lol, at least i tried, this prompt was a bitch to write XD**


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